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Author Topic: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished  (Read 6004 times)

Offline t.caster

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Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« on: January 29, 2018, 07:14:46 PM »
This rifle is inspired by RCA-19, but not a copy. I just wanted to have fun building a hunting rifle with some spare parts on hand. I started it 1st of December 2017 and it is in the finish (drying) stage right now. I used a .62 cal straight oct. GRRW barrel I took off my original (1985) Military style Jaeger because it got too heavy for me. I had replaced it with a new Getz barrel about 8 yrs. ago, so it was setting around. To make it lighter I cut off both ends to 28" and had Dennis Priddy of Nashville Mi. re-breach it and turn it Oct to Round. The deep old sq. bottom rifling still looks like new! Using Chambers Early Germanic lock with a single trigger in a perty piece of black walnut cut a couple miles from me in 2010. These pics are before any simple carving and moldings took place.
Still looking kinda scruffy in these pics.

I'll post more pics of it when I get it all together!













« Last Edit: January 30, 2018, 08:50:40 PM by t.caster »
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Tom C.

Offline rich pierce

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2018, 07:25:06 PM »
My RCA 19 copy is my favorite handling rifle.  As we get older those octagon to round barrels feel pretty good.  Nice early build.
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Andover, Vermont

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2018, 07:54:39 PM »
Transitioning from what to what?
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Offline rich pierce

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2018, 08:01:36 PM »
Quote from: Mike Brooks on January 29, 2018, 07:54:39 PM
Transitioning from what to what?

Octagon to round, silly!
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Andover, Vermont

Offline RickH

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2018, 08:29:32 PM »
Wow, Very nice!
That will be a blast to hunt with and I hope that you post the completed pictures (after drying) as well!!
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Offline t.caster

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2018, 09:19:40 PM »
Transitioning from overweight to svelte! No gender changes here!
« Last Edit: January 29, 2018, 09:26:45 PM by t.caster »
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Tom C.

Offline Daryl

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2018, 11:08:09 PM »
Oh yeah- what a nice hunting rifle that will be.  Good choice in design.
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Daryl

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Offline Chowmi

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2018, 11:22:20 PM »
I really like that, thanks for posting.
Some lovely Germanic influences in that gun.
Wish I could go from blank to that in two months....

Norm.
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Offline Bigmon

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2018, 11:40:26 PM »
That's a nice jb.  Looks good to me.
I would like to see what you did for the front sight.
I just don't like any of these sveral front solder on sights available right now.
I know they hold well with the base the way they sadle over the barrel, but is that how the oeiginals were?
I have seen some made that was just the blade soldered (I assume) and they had a far better apprearance, though probably get knocked off easier??
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Offline rich pierce

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build
« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2018, 12:18:31 AM »
I inlet my front sight into the barrel.
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Andover, Vermont

Offline Ed Wenger

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2018, 04:16:11 AM »
That's a really unique (nice!) piece of walnut.  Should look great finished.


       Ed
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Ed Wenger

Offline t.caster

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2018, 07:50:48 PM »
Here it is all together for the 1st time! It really has a nice balance and solid hold for me. A fast lock with a light crisp trigger pull will make this a good shooter I hope. Can't wait for next November's deer season! Yeah, I'm keeping this one!
I applied a coat of diluted LMF Honey Maple to bring out a little more color.
My first plan was for this to be a barn gun, but the wood was too nice for that, so it transitioned into this. Hope you like it.



















Now I have one more .62 cal. Jaeger than I need.....Hmmm!






« Last Edit: January 30, 2018, 08:54:11 PM by t.caster »
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Tom C.

Offline Bigmon

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2018, 08:34:24 PM »
Three nice guns.
Are you of German heritage??
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Offline Daryl

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #13 on: January 30, 2018, 08:36:27 PM »
Flint lock hunting rifles do NOT get much nicer than those.
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Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline t.caster

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2018, 09:34:28 PM »
Thanks Daryl!

Bigmon, my 5th Gr Grandfather Johann Guerster was a Swiss Huguenot who immigrated here around 1730. He must have changed his name after he arrived. His son's name was John de Castorer, who served in the Rev. War (9th Albany Militia) in upstate NY. All of his 10 children then went by either Caster or Castor. Pretty much all my other ancestors were English and Irish.

Oh, and that front sight was just something I found in my scrap brass bin, and threw it on there without much thought to looks or HC. It might have been a brass underlug.
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Tom C.

Offline oldtravler61

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #15 on: January 30, 2018, 10:00:18 PM »
   Tom very nice job on all three. Really nice set of hunting guns. But my favorite is the top one....! Always thought the style was bulky years ago until a friend let me handle an shoot one of his...they sure are sweet handling guns....Mike
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n stephenson

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #16 on: January 30, 2018, 11:10:51 PM »
Tom, Nice Job!! You have shown that a VERY nice rifle , can be simple and not break the bank doing it. I like the modest amount of decoration , just enough !!  Should make a nice deer rifle.  Nate
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Offline smart dog

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #17 on: January 31, 2018, 12:13:59 AM »
Tom,
Nice trio of guns with "manly bores".  Nice early short rifle.

dave
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Offline t.caster

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #18 on: January 31, 2018, 01:40:16 AM »
That top one I built in '85 and it has put more meat in the freezer than any weapon I've ever owned, including over 25 whitetails and one 450# black bear! The middle one is only two years old, and has taken 2 deer.
With those .62 calibers, if they don't die in front of you, they leave a nice blood trail to follow!
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Tom C.

Offline SingleMalt

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #19 on: January 31, 2018, 05:54:45 AM »
Nice work, understated decoration.  Just the way I like'em.
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Offline Majorjoel

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #20 on: January 31, 2018, 10:25:18 AM »
Tom, just beautiful and inspiring work!!   ;)   

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Joel Hall

Offline t.caster

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #21 on: January 31, 2018, 04:26:48 PM »
Joel....and remember...you got to see it FIRST! ;) How is yours coming along?
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Tom C.

Offline Majorjoel

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #22 on: January 31, 2018, 08:40:53 PM »
Tom, still playing with wood removal in the forestock and wrist areas. Test fired it over the weekend and was pretty pleased with the results for not having the right sized round balls!  Had to use .57 (58 caliber) for my .60 rifled bore.  I used some very thick denim patches. 

It was a real privilege to see your fine walnut stocked transitional rifle in progress!  From early December, start to finished before the first of February is smokin' fast!! :)   

I admit that I would be much farther along with my project if I could have stayed working in my now frozen shop!    The basement has been a bit of a challenge working on an old round dining table instead of my bench! ???       One of the most important things I have learned since I started building muzzle loaders is patience.  No matter how long it takes, (God willing)  I will be looking at my finished work a lot longer than it took to make! ;D ;D
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Joel Hall

Offline Cory Joe Stewart

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #23 on: January 31, 2018, 09:33:55 PM »
That is great work.  What buttplate is that?  Or did you make it?

Cory Joe Stewart
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Offline t.caster

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Re: Transitional Rifle Build-Finished
« Reply #24 on: January 31, 2018, 09:37:20 PM »
Joel, I am always saying "don't rush it, that's when mistakes happen". Two months sounds like I rushed it to some of you, but I don't work on them everyday, and seldom more than 4-5 hrs. a day. Seams like the more builds you get under your belt, the faster they go, at least up to the decoration phase anyway. I'll never get in a race with speedy Mike B, even with his arm in a sling!
Winter is mostly "stay indoors time" with little house & yard work so it is perfect for gunbuilding. My shop is in my warm basement.

regards,
T
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Tom C.
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